What TOEFL Score Do You Need in 2026?

There is no single TOEFL score that counts as passing. Every institution — and often every department within an institution — sets its own minimum. Undergraduate and graduate programs at the same university normally ask for different levels. Language-heavy programs (law, literature, journalism) tend to ask for more than mathematics or engineering. Some programs set only an overall minimum, others also set a per-section minimum, especially for Speaking.

Rather than aiming for a number a stranger on the internet remembers, look up the exact number your program publishes today. It is the only number that decides your application.

Most universities have not yet updated their published TOEFL minimums to the new band scale. During the 2026–2028 transition period, your official score report shows three things at once: the new band per section and overall, your CEFR level, and a comparable legacy 0–120 score. That is deliberate — it lets programs read your report against whichever number they still publish.

If your program lists a 0–120 minimum, use the legacy score on your report and confirm with admissions. If your program lists a band, use the band. If your program lists a CEFR level ("B2 minimum", "C1 preferred"), use the CEFR line. All three come from the same underlying performance; you are not being tested on three separate scales.

CEFR is a useful common language across tests. When a university says "B2", it means an independent user — someone who can hold a conversation with a native speaker without much strain, follow the main ideas of complex text, and produce clear detailed writing. "C1" is a proficient user — someone who can use the language flexibly for academic and professional purposes.

Different bands on the new TOEFL scale align to different CEFR levels; the exact mapping is on your official report. As a rough frame — not an official cutoff, and never a promise about a specific university — programs that used to ask for a mid-range 0–120 score usually want an independent-user CEFR level, and programs that used to ask for high 0–120 scores usually want proficient-user levels. Always confirm with your program.

The most useful thing you can do this week is set a target and take a diagnostic. Your target is what your program publishes. Your diagnostic tells you where you are today. The gap between them is your prep plan.

A per-skill diagnostic — not a single overall number — is what makes this useful. If you are already close to target in Reading but two bands short in Speaking, spending equal time on all four sections is wasted effort.

A strong overall band does not automatically satisfy a section minimum. If your program asks for at least a certain Speaking band, an excellent Reading band will not rescue you — the admissions filter looks at the specific section, not the average.

This is common for programs that involve teaching, presenting or client-facing work. It is also common in health-related fields. Check whether your program lists section minimums before you plan your prep. If they do, treat those sections as non-negotiable.